Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

Dictionary online

æ
þ

þá

  • adverb
  • conjunction
Dictionary links
Grammar
þá, adv. conj.
Wright's OE grammar
§560;
Then, when. When the word stands at the beginning of a clause and may be translated by then, the verb generally precedes its subject; if it is to be translated by when the subject generally precedes the verb.
then, at that time
Show examples

  • Ic ofstikode hyne. Swíþe þrýste ðú wǽre þá (

    tunc

    ),
      Coll. Monast. Th. 22, 19.

  • Ðá wæs ðæt Agustinus gelaþode tó his sprǽce Brytta bisceopas

    interea Augustinus convocavit ad suum colloquium episcopos Brittonum provinciae,

      Bd. 2, 2; S. 502, 5.

  • Godes ðeówas ðá náne landáre hleótan ne móston,

      Homl. Th. ii. 224, 4.

  • On anginne ðissere worulde menn móston lybban be heora lustum ðá ... wé ne móton lybban be úrum lustum nú,

      Homl. Skt. i. 16, 233.

  • Hit mæg eów nú fremian swá micclum swá hit ðá mihte,

      Homl. Th. ii. 378, 12.
  • Se stán ðe ðæt wæter ðá of fleów, ii. 274, 1.

  • Hé on fulluhte underfangen næs, forðan ðe Martinus ðá on neáwiste næs,

      504, 24 : Homl. Skt. i. 6, 112.

  • On ðære tíde ðe Ehfrid and Ædelréd wunnon, ðá æt sumon gefeohte wearð án ðegen áfylled,

      Homl. Th. ii. 356, 24.
marking sequence,
then, after that, thereupon
Show examples

  • Ðá cwæð hé : 'Gá gé on mínne wíngeard.' And hig þá férdon,

      Mt. Kmbl. 20, 4.

  • Sum iungling com mid gyrde tó mé, and wearp hí ðá tó mé,

      Homl. Th. ii. 312, 17.

  • Se engel mé lǽdde ðá furðor ... Efne ðá æteówdon lígas ... Ic ðá beheóld ðone ormǽtan líg,

      350, 15-21 : 456, 24-26.

  • Eft ðá on ðære þriddan nihte middan hé gewát of ðisum lífe. Þá cómon eft englas and hine gelǽddon,

      336, 2-5.

  • Hwæt ðá com sum man,

      286, 19.

  • Hwæt ða hǽþenan þá hine bestódon,

      Homl. Skt. ii. 28, 104.
  • Þá se bisceop dyde up ðone sanct, i. 21, 139.
as adverbial connective,
of time,
when
Show examples

  • Þá hé út eode embe underntíde, hé geseah óðre ídele standan,

      Mt. Kmbl. 20, 3 : 3, 7.

  • Hwæt hé dyde, þá hine seó menego þreáde,

      Blickl. Homl. 19, 11, 31 : 5, 25.
of cause or reason,
when, since, as
Show examples

  • Hí héton hine secgan hweþer hé cristen wǽre, þá hé wilnode þyllíces,

      Homl. Skt. ii. 28, 106.

  • Hwá mæg áuht óþres cweþan bútan ðú wǽre se gesǽligesta, ðá ðú mé wǽre ǽr leóf þonne cúþ,

      Bt. 8; Fox 24, 26.
  • III a. where the form iss
marking time,
when
Show examples

  • Crist sylf gefæstnode his sprǽce, þá ðá hé spræc tó ánum Samaritaniscan wífe,

      Homl. Th. i. 482, 24.

  • Ðæt Drihten cwǽde tó Nichodéme, án ðæra ealdra, ðá ðá hé his láre sóhte, ii. 238,

      4, 9.

  • Ðá ðe (

    cum

    ) hé in áre wes,
      Ps. Surt. 48, 21 : 106, 6. (1 a)
    where the two forms are separated :-- Þá heó þá in tó ðære hire moddrian eode, sóna ðæt cild onsprang, Blickl. Homl. 165, 28.
marking cause or reason,
when, since, as
Show examples

  • Ðá cwæð his geféra, ðæt hé gefyrn smeáde hwǽr hí bigleofan biddan sceoldon, ðá ðá hí ða fare férdon búton wiste,

      Homl. Th. ii. 138, 33.
marking condition,
when, if
Show examples

  • Ðæt hit wǽre geðúht ðæs ðe máre gemynd ðæs fæder, ðá ðá se sunu, his yrfenuma, wæs gecíged ðæs fæder naman,

      Homl. Th. i. 478, l l.
in correlative combinations,
then ... when, when ... then
Show examples

  • Ðá se cyng ðæt hiérde, þá wende hé hine west,

      Chr. 894; Erl. 91, 9 : 90, 22-24.

  • Þá (

    then

    ) þú cýþdest ðæt þú neatest hwelces endes ǽlc angin wilnode, þá ðú wéndest ðæt steórleáse men wǽron gesǽlige,
      Bt. 5, 3; Fox 12, 34.

  • Þá þá (

    cum

    ) hé fæste feówurtig daga, þá ongan hyne syððan hingrian,
      Mt. Kmbl. 4, 2.

  • Ðá ðá hé ealdode, þá clypode hé his yldestan cniht him tó,

      Homl. Th. ii. 234, 22 : 286, 6 : 390, 19-22.

  • Þá hé ðá út faran wolde, þá hét hé beódan,

      Chr. 905; Erl. 98, 21 : 894; Erl. 90, 33.

  • Ðá se wísdóm ðá þis spell áreht hæfde, ðá ongan hé giddian,

      Bt. 19; Fox 68, 19.

  • Þá þe ... þá sóna,

      Blickl. Homl. 163, 15.

  • Þá geseah Abraham Drihtnes dæg, þá þá hé ðás gerýnu tócneów,

      Homl. Th. ii. 234, 22.

  • Se Frysa ðá, þá ðá hé hine gehæftan ne mihte, lét hine faran,

      358, 22. IV a. in
    n

  • Þǽr ðú cýþdest ðæt ðú nystest mid hwilcan gerece God wylt ðisse worulde, þá ðú sǽdest ðæt . . . ,

      Bt. 5, 3; Fox 14, 4.
  • ¶ See git, gita, gén, géna, nú for other instances of the word.
Etymology
[Chauc. Piers P. tho, thoo : O. Frs. thá : O. Sax. thó, thuo : O. H. Ger. dó : Icel. þá]
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “þá.” In An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online, edited by Thomas Northcote Toller, Christ Sean, and Ondřej Tichy. Prague: Faculty of Arts, Charles University, 2014. https://bosworthtoller.com/31438.

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Full form

Word-wheel

  • þá, adv.; con.

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